The Spanking Dread
by QuillVA
Summary: Obviously Contains Spanking: When you lead a tough life, it takes tough discipline to keep your group alive. Mostly Rick and Carl, but I'll expand to some Michonne and Carl, and probably some Rick and Glen.
1. Chapter 1

"Then, get off my back!" The anger towards his mother Carl had buried for months came bubbling to the surface. He stood red-cheeked, facing her.

"Carl!", Beth said, shocked, "She's your mother. You can't talk to her like that."

"Did you think for a minute what your daddy was going to say when he saw this?", Lori shook her head. Carl swallowed a knot in his throat. He'd thought maybe if he brought the supplies back, no one would ask where they came from. His dad wouldn't be too mad, would he? It wasn't fair. He was fine, he got the supplies, what was the damn problem?

"Why don't you go sit on your bunk until he gets back", Lori pointed a shaking finger towards the door. Carl stomped out of the cell, kicking the bars as he left.

"Carl Grimes!", Carl turned reluctantly crossing his arms and stood in front of his wide eyed mother, staring angrily at the ground. Lori grabbed the sulking teenager by the shirt.

"Now you listen to me Carl Grimes. I do not like this new attitude of yours, and I would very much suggest you change it before you talk to your Daddy, because when I tell him about the disrespect you have shown me today after you risked your life and lied about where you were going- You could have died, and no one would have known where to look!"

"Mom, they don't have to look. I'm fine." Carl pushed his mother's hand off of his shirt, "I can handle myself."

"Handle yourself with what?", Rick peeked into the doorway. Carl put his hands in his back pocket unconsciously. He looked at his mother. She crossed her arms.

"Tell him."

"I just- I got Hershel supplies to help out", Carl fought to keep eye contact under his father's questioning stare.

"Well good. That's good, son. Where'd you find 'em?"

"Umm- from the infirmary."

Carl took a step backwards as Rick stood up straight in the doorway.

"You went to the infirmary by yourself?"

"Yes sir, but I-"

"With Hershel laid up, barely breathing. He went with six other people. You decided to go out on your own to a part of the prison we haven't cleared yet?"

"He told us he was organizing the food." Lori chirped in, "And when I asked him about it, he told me to get off his back."

"Dad, I-", Rick cut off the boy's sentence, grabbing him by the arm and pushing him towards the exit. The man's face was a storm of anger as he led his son outside. Carl's stomach dropped. He'd taken this trip once before. Just behind the watch-tower, out of hearing distance, out of sight, and away from the zombies.

"Dad, please. I'm sorry."

"Okay, Carl", Rick took off his belt and wrapped it around his hand, "What are you sorry about?"

"That- that I yelled at Mom, and that I went on a run by myself."

"Went on a run? Carl, you listen to me. You want to be a man? Act like one", Rick shook Carl's arm hard, "What you did was not a run. Do you see Darryl sneaking off, lying about where he is, going off without telling anyone _for a run_? Or Glenn? Or me? Every time you put yourself in danger, you put everyone in this group in danger. Do you understand that?"

"But I got the medicine"

" _That's not the point Carl_. You want to go on a run, you ask me. You don't lie and sneak. That's not what a man does. Am I understood?"

"Yes sir."

"And as far as you yelling at your Mom", Rick lowered his face in front of Carl's, "That woman gave birth to you. She loves you more than anyone else in the world. If you knew how many times she's kept this right here from happening- You should be bringing her presents every day."

"But-"

"But nothing. Next time you wanna talk to your mother, or any grownup, the way you did today, I want you to think back. Think about my belt, you understand me?"

"Dad, please. I was just trying to help out."

"No you weren't, Carl. If you wanted to help, you would have helped out with the food like you said you were doing. Or waited until I came back and asked me to go on the supply run with you. You wanted to prove you could do it. You risked your life for what? For pride?"

Carl dug into the grass with the toe of his boot. He hated it when his Dad was right. Which was always. He'd just wanted to get out of the cells and show everyone he wasn't such a kid. The fact that he was going to come back puffy-eyed from a spanking was kind of ironic.

"I find a good deterrent for pride is a sore behind. Get those pants down."

Tears already in his eyes, Carl turned towards the watch tower and pulled down his pants and underwear. He leaned his face onto the cool stones and held his breath.

Whap! Carl squinted in pain as the belt landed just above his thighs. He let out the breath he was holding in a hiss.

Whap! Whap! Whap! "Mmmmph", Carl muffled a groan a balled his hands into fists.

"Is a pat on the back worth your life, Carl?"

Whap! Whap! Whap whap! Whap!

"Sssss. No, sir."

"Are you allowed to go to uncleared places without permission?"

Whap whap whap! Whap! Whap! Whap whap!

"Nooo. No sir."

"Do you tell your mother to get off your back?"

WHAP! WHAP WHAP! WHAP! WHAP! WHAP!

"Owwww. I'm sorry, Dad."

"What was that?"

Whap! Whap! Whap!

"Oww. No sir. I won't - ahow- I won't do it again."

"Your mother and I love you too much to lose you son", Whap whap whap whap whap whap whap, "And if I have to tan your hide every day to keep you safe, I will. Do you understand me?"

WHAP! Whap! Whap whap! Whap.

"Yes sir- sss. Ow. Ssss. Agh. I understand, Dad. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Rick grabbed his son by the waist and placed a few more hard swats to his thighs. Carl bucked and pleaded, casting off his earlier stoicism. The boy didn't realize the spanking was over until Rick was sliding his belt back into it's loops.

"Pull up your pants and come on over here", Rick opened up his arms. Carl pulled up his pants, cringing and made his way over to his Dad's arms, relieved.

"That really hurt", he mumbled into his father's shirt.

"Yeah. You earned it today", he kissed the top of his son's head, pulling him in tight.

"I uh- I'm sorry, Dad"

"Hey, listen up. I'm proud of you. Proud of the man you're becoming. You went about it wrong, but you were coming from right."

"Thanks, Dad"

"Now, you and I are square, but I want you to go apologize to your Mom for how you talked to her."

"Yes sir."

"And Carl? We have to have this conversation again, you sneaking off, you won't sit comfortable for a week, you have my word. We clear?"

"Yes sir. It won't happen again, Dad. I'm sorry."

"Good man. Go on to your mom."


	2. Chapter 2

Rick unsheathed his knife, angry to find the guns he'd hidden taken. He steeled himself as he heard the groans of the horde behind him. It was time. He turned to face the flock just in time to see Carl appear to his right.

Rick barely had time for a questioning glance before the herd was right in front of them. Carl unsheathed his knife and stood beside his father.

"Get ready", Rick signalled, plunging his knife into the skull of the first walker. Father and son took down body after body, anticipating one another's every move. Rick picked out a long piece of metal from the rusted junkpile near the house and raised it.

"Dad", Carl stopped him, grabbing the crowbar and finishing the last walker himself. Rick smiled, his pride winning out over his anger for a moment before he shook himself back.

"That was real good son"

"Thanks, Dad"

"Did somebody give you permission to be out here?"

"Umm, no. I just sort of came", Carl shifted uncomfortably

"I thought I told you not to leave the house while I'm gone"

"You said I could go out."

"Oh that's right. And where did you say you were going when you left this afternoon?"

"Jessie's"

"Did you go to Jessie's?"

"Well. No. No sir. But I just needed some time outside."

"Mmmhmm, so you lied and snuck off to go somewhere you know you shouldn't be. I'm starting to see a familiar pattern Carl-"

"No, Dad. No, this is different."

"How is it different Carl?"

"I, I just wanted to come-"

"I mean honestly Carl, after the whipping Michonne gave you last time, I thought you'd be done sneaking off on your own, but apparently, you need another reminder."

"Dad, no please. It's just- a girl. I followed a girl out here. I'm sorry."

"A girl?"

"Yes sir. I just- wasn't thinking straight. I'm sorry.", Rick giggled and grabbed Carl gently by the back of the neck.

"Well, at least I know you aren't staging another mutiny."

"No sir. I totally get it. We can just go home and forget this ever happened."

"That's a nice try", Rick smiled, "Since you're so good at climbing fences, let's see how you do with trees. I want you to climb up and cut a nice, big, green switch,"

"Come on, Dad"

Rick crossed his arms and nodded toward the tree. Carl climbed up the crooked trunk until he found a branch he knew would satisfy his father. A few times when he was younger, he tried to bring small, flimsy switches so that it would hurt less, but his Dad would just take the switches without comment, spank him with them until they broke and then make him go cut a sturdy new one.

He climbed back down and handed the switch to his father. Rick cleaned it, getting rid of the nicks and thorns while Carl stood kicking at an anthill in front of him.

"Why are you about to get this whooping Carl?"

"I snuck out by myself."

"Well, that. I was thinking. I saw the way you fought today. You can handle yourself son. You've more than proved that. You need time to yourself out here, you take it. But you tell me, or one of the group before you go. Sneaking is something children do, just like losing their minds chasing girls, or getting their butts whooped. Understand me?"

"Yes sir"

"So, what are you getting whooped for?"

"For sneaking out without telling anybody. And for lying"

"And you understand why you get whooped for those things?"

"Because it's dangerous. I know."

"Well I'm glad you know. Come on."

"I can really go out by myself?"

"With permission."

"Thanks Dad", Carl hugged his father tightly with tears in his eyes.

"Wow. That's a real power hug there kid"

"Yeah. I really don't want a whipping, Dad"

"That's tough kid. Pull 'em down. Up against the tree."

Carl walked slowly over to a tree and pulled his pants and underwear down to his thigh. He rested his forearms against the bark.

"Ssss", He forgot sometimes how much more he hated switches than his Dad's belt. I mean, the belt was no picnic but-

"Agh, sss, agh Agh!", Godfuckingshitdamnit. His Dad had to be wearing out his arm. Carl's legs started squirming and his pants fell down to his ankles,leaving his thighs open for the constantly falling switch.

"Ow. Dad. Please", Carl reached his hand back to cover his blistering bottom, pulling it back quickly after a few stripes of the switch to his palm.

"Dad. I'm sorry. I know it was dangerous. Please", Rick brought his hand down to his side.

"Are you ever gonna do it again?"

"No sir. I swear I won't"

"Ok, then just ten more to send the lesson home."

"Aww f-, Dad, please."

"I want you to count them"

"Sss. One. "

"Sssss. Two. "

"Agh agh three. "

"Phhhh. Sss. Four. "

"Five, ssshhhh, agh six. "

"Ow, dad. Sss agh seven. "

"Sss agh eight. "

"Sssss agh nine."

"Sss aagh ten ten ten ten ten ten."

Carl jumped up and down, trying to shake the pain out of his behind. He took several deep breaths and got himself together quickly, pulling up his pants with a hiss. Rick pulled him into a hug. Carl tucked his head into his Dad's shoulder embarrassed to be crying even after the spanking.

"I am so proud of the man you're growing into", Rick whispered, kissing the top of his son's head. Carl rubbed the sting out of his bottom and dried his eyes. He breathed in the air outside the walls. He could come out on his own now. His Dad trusted him that much.

Rick handed Carl the rusty crow bar. He took it, spinning it up to land on his shoulder. Rick gently rustled his hair as they headed back to town. Despite the persistent ache in his behind, today was turning out to be a good day.


End file.
